This weekend my other half showed me how to create light orbs. I wasn't really sure about this when I first saw it not because it isn't pretty and amazing but because it looked so difficult! Finally this weekend I built up the courage to give it a go, so off to the garden we went when it was dark enough.
So if you want to give this a go you need some standard fairy lights, a tripod and your camera. To avoid breaking the lights you can make a loop with some Paracord to use for momentum instead of the lead of the lights. It is much easier if there is two of you.
Set up your camera on a tripod and get your camera partner to go and stand in place and get the settings all sorted on the camera. You will need your camera to be in full manual mode (manual on the lens and the M setting on the wheel). You may not see anything and don't forget to manually set the focus!
Put the camera on to a 2 second timer which allows you to start the movement with the lights before the camera starts to shoot. You will probably need to set the shutter speed to around 15 seconds. Get your cameral partner to play a director role and tell you when they have set the camera shooting.
Turn off any head torches and start to build momentum with the lights. Have you finger on the light switch so you can flick them on easily when the momentum is up to full speed flick on the lights. When you have switched on the lights then do tiny little shuffles to turn in a circle whilst swinging the lights. Be warned you may hit yourself a few times with the lights but it gets easier so do a few practises first.
Once you have got the initial steps sorted play with the flashing setting on the lights and then try all different shapes. You can also use post processing to get different colours in the pictures and to do any effects you may want to. Its really fun and look what amazing things you can achieve! I would really say give it a go and its not expensive to do either which I really love!
My other half made this letter for me with the lights whilst I shot the photo. I love it so much that I am going to be using it as part of my new profile picture for The Small Things of Life :-)
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